Global Investigative Journalism Network (https://archive.gijn.org/tag/world-bank/)
The little-known but powerful Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) system considers high stakes cases between companies and national governments, which often take years to resolve and impose extensive legal and other fees. Here, investigative reporter Claire Provost argues that we need more reporting to expose the impact this system has on our democracies.
There is widespread concern that corruption will affect the use of international funds being rushed out in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. GIJN has created a guide to using World Bank documents online to track the use of the Bank’s projects in more than 100 countries.
विश्व बैंक की कई परियोजनाएं हैं। हालांकि, ज्यादातर मामलों में यह गाइड “कोविड -19 फास्ट-ट्रैक सुविधा” से संबंधित है, जो मुख्य रूप से महामारी से निपटने के लिए आवश्यक खरीदारी की समर्थन देता है। इस परियोजना में लगभग 75 देश शामिल हैं।
विश्व बैंक के पास कोविड -19 इकोनॉमिक क्राइसिस एंड रिकवरी डेवलपमेंट पॉलिसी फाइनेंसिंग नामक एक अन्य परियोजना है। इससे 70 देशों को सहायता प्राप्त हो रही है। उनमें से कई फास्ट-ट्रैक प्रोग्राम से भी लाभान्वित होते हैं। इस परियोजना का पैसा मुख्य रूप से आर्थिक विकास के लिए है। उदाहरण के लिए, सरकारी परियोजनाओं का समर्थन करना या निजी क्षेत्र के निवेश को प्रोत्साहित करना।
The World Bank is supporting governments in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing about $14 billion to more than 100 countries. But how is the money being spent and who is getting the contracts?
Tracking the use of this money can be facilitated by World Bank data online along with national procurement records.
English
কোভিড-১৯ মহামারি মোকাবিলার জন্য বিভিন্ন দেশের সরকারকে অর্থ সহায়তা দিয়েছে বিশ্বব্যাংক। এখন পর্যন্ত ১০০টির বেশি দেশে দেওয়া হয়েছে প্রায় ১৪ বিলিয়ন ডলার। কিন্তু এই অর্থ কীভাবে খরচ করা হচ্ছে? কাদের সঙ্গে চুক্তি করা হচ্ছে?
The latest tools and resources from the Research Desk: mining Twitter to predict unrest, centralizing access to disaster loss databases, archiving disease outbreaks, and declassifying international relations docs.
In his 1999 book Development as Freedom, renowned economist and Noble laureate Amartya Sen stated that investment in healthcare can lead to success in meeting a wide range of development targets, such as those identified by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Indeed, good healthcare improves quality of life, reduces morbidity and mortality, and raises economic productivity. As such, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recognised the importance of universal health coverage (UHC) and urged its member states to adopt programmes providing essential health packages.
Corruption is one of the most dangerous beats for journalists, and one of the most important for holding those in power to account. There is growing international recognition that corruption is also one of the biggest impediments to poverty reduction and good governance. This is why journalists on this beat must be protected, including by multilateral lending institutions such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
There are the two essential questions a reporter covering business, the economy, or just about any topic should always ask: ‘How much does it cost?’ and ‘Where will you get the money from?’. These simple questions are not only key to gaining information about your current story’s topic, but they offer greater insight into reasons for decisions that have a direct impact on a country and its citizens.
There are many different concepts and definitions of poverty. According to the Oxford University Poverty and Human Development Initiative, ‘Poverty is often defined by one-dimensional measures, such as income. But no one indicator alone can capture the multiple aspects that constitute poverty. Multidimensional poverty is made up of several factors that constitute poor people’s experience of deprivation–such as poor health, lack of education, inadequate living standard, lack of income (as one of several factors considered), disempowerment, poor quality of work and threat from violence.’